Koch et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,981,168 discloses a method and apparatus for casting an internal combustion engine block having a discrete cylinder liner prepositioned in the mold and the block metal (e.g., aluminum) cast thereabout. More specifically, Koch et al utilize a reuseable, cylindrical, detachable mandrel for positioning the cylinder liner in the mold cavity. The cylinder liner is mounted onto the detachable mandrel outside of the mold, and the mandrel-liner assembly then positioned in the mold cavity just prior to casting. After casting, the cylinder block is removed along with the liner and mandrel. Thereafter, the mandrel is pressed out of the cylinder block and reused. In a horizontally parted die, the upper ejector half of the die will typically contain the mandrel hanging down therefrom, and provision must be made to prevent the liner from falling off of the mandrel (i.e., due to gravity) once the mandrel has been positioned in the upper ejector die.